John Monroe Davis
June 27, 1887 – Feb 7,1973
the largest privately-held collection of firearms in the world- 1917 J.M. and Addie Davis buy the Mason Hotel in Claremore, OK
- 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Davis built a home in Claremore and took over the management of the hotel
- 1921 to 1923 mayor of Claremore
- 1933 to 1943 mayor of Claremore
- 1929 Mr. Davis’s collection had grown to 99 guns
- 1930 purchased U.S. Bessette collection of 500 pieces
- 1932 purchased the Smith collection at Vinita, Oklahoma of 1,500 guns
- 1932 purchased the John Sallings collection of 500 pieces
- World War II veterans would bring him war trophies
- gunsmiths would bring in guns they had modified, sporterized, or completely invented
- 1948 purchased the Merle Gill collection
(Outlaw and Lawman guns, hanging nooses, and hand cuffs) - November, 1959 Addie Davis passed away (married 49 years)
- July 1961, J.M. married Genevieve Breeden
- 1965, Mr. Davis established a nonprofit foundation, the J.M. Davis Memorial Foundation, Inc
- Governor Henry Bellmon signed the legislation to establish the J.M. Davis Memorial Commission and appropriate funds to purchase the entire city block where the museum now stands
- 1968, plans were approved for a 40,000 square foot J.M Davis museum building
- June 27, 1969, Mr. Davis’ 82nd birthday, the museum was opened to the public
- June 27, 1972, Mr. Davis’ 85th birthday, the city of Claremore honored him by renaming a street after him: J.M. Davis Boulevard
- February 7th, 1973 J.M. Davis passed away
About J.M. Davis
John Monroe Davis (1887-1973) assembled what is often called the world’s largest privately owned gun collection, now preserved at the J.M. Davis Arms and Historical Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma. Davis received his first gun at age seven, bought Claremore’s Mason Hotel in 1917, and by 1929 was displaying firearms on its walls, which drew travelers on the highway that became Route 66.
In 1965 Davis transferred the collection to the J.M. Davis Memorial Foundation, which agreed to give it to the State of Oklahoma; the state legislature created the J.M. Davis Memorial Commission, and the foundation holds a 99-year lease with the state for $1. The museum, which fills a full city block, opened to the public on June 27, 1969, Davis’s 82nd birthday. Today it holds more than 12,000 firearms along with thousands of other artifacts, from early muzzleloaders to outlaw and lawman guns, and it remains one of the most important firearms history destinations in the United States. Davis died on February 7, 1973.
Key Facts
- 1917: Bought the Mason Hotel in Claremore, Oklahoma
- 1929: Guns displayed on the hotel’s walls
- 1965: Collection transferred to the J.M. Davis Memorial Foundation
- June 27, 1969: Museum opened on his 82nd birthday
- February 7, 1973: Died in Claremore
- 2026: Collection of more than 12,000 firearms on public display
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Sources
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